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Depression

Surveillance Data Sources

The BRFSS is an annual state-based telephone survey of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized adult population. The core questionnaire contains questions asked of all respondents, while states may choose to also include optional modules addressing various topics. The optional Anxiety and Depression Module assesses the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders in the general population at the state level. This module is composed of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) which has been validated against the nine diagnostic criteria for a depressive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). For more details, including the questions that make up the module and links to the data, refer to the following PDF file.

NHANES is a program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States, which is conducted in 2-year cycles. The survey is unique in that it combines interviews and physical examinations. The Depression Screener has been administered during a computer-assisted personal interview as part of NHANES since 2005. For more details, including the questions that make up the module and links to the data, refer to the following PDF file.

Depression Statistics

More than 1 out of 20 Americans 12 years of age and older reported current depression in 2005–2006.1

The following figure presents the percentage of persons 12 years of age and older with depression by demographic characteristics (age, sex, race and Hispanic origin) based on NHANES data from 2005–2006.1